Printing press inking means



Oct. 12,1943. .1. c. TALBERT 3 PRINTING PRESS INKING MEANS Fil ed Aug. 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIII/I/II/I/III/I/A INVENTOR. I "J C C. 7214 45/32 Arron/Yak 0a. 12, 1943. J, c, TALQERT 2,331,637

PRINTING PRESS INKING MEANS Filed Aug. 9, 1941 ZShBGCS-ShGGt 2 INVENTOR.

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Patented Oct. 12, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE '1 2,331,637 PRINTING PRESS INKING MEANS Jack C. Talbert, Denver, Colo. Application August 9, 1941, Serial No. 406,078

8 Claims.

This invention relates to means for inking printing presses. Printing presses are at present inked by placing thick, tacky, printers ink on a rotary distributing disc or drum from whence it is picked up by inking rollers which roll over the type faces. These rollers are relatively short lived and their replacement is a continuous expense. The thick printers ink must be Washed from the distributing plate and rollers whenever a run is finished or whenever the color is changed.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means for inking the presses which will not require inking rollers and inking discs or drums so that expensive replacements and constant washing is entirely eliminated; and which will allow the use of a quick drying fluid ink which will eliminate the necessity for spray guns and other non-offsetting devices.

Another object of the invention is to provide printing press inking means which will supply the entire area of the type form uniformly with ink as contrasted to the present method wherein the side of the form first contacted by the inking roller is inked heavier than the far side thereof; and in which colors of ink can be quickly changed without any intermediate washing of the press.

Other objects and advantages reside in the detail construction of the invention, which is designed for simplicity, economy, and efliciency.

These will become more apparent from the following description.

In the following detailed description of the invention reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. Like numerals refer to like parts in all views of the drawings and throughout the description.

In the drawings: i

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a portion of a typical job press of the Gordon type with the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the press of Fig. 1, illustrating it in the partially closed position, with the invention shown in cross section;

Fig. 3 is a front view of a typical ink reservoir as employed with this invention;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged cross sections through the ink reservoir, taken on the lines i-4 and 5-5, Fig, 3, respectively; and

Fig. 6 is an outline view of a typical cylinder press of the flat bed type with the invention in place therein.

The invention is applicable to any type of press. In the drawings only two types are illustrated, they are the typical job press of the Gordon type and a typical cylinder press of the flat bed type. Regular parts of the former press are designated by numeral as follows: flywheel lil; cam wheel I l, side arms l2, roller yoke frame It, roller truck l4, truck runway l5, chase bed it, chase H, and platen [8.

In the usual press, an ink disc is supported between the two runways It. With this inven-' tion applied, however, the ink disc is removed and a bracket arm l9 secured in its place. The bracket arm supports an inkreservoir 20 which extends laterally of the press above and forwardly of the chase bed I6.

An elongated reel 2! extends longitudinally of the ink reservoir 20 upon which a flexible inking sheet 22 is wound. The sheet 22 may be of any desired material, a good quality of close woven silk has been found highly satisfactory. The upper edge of the inking sheet 22 is secured to the reel 2! and is wound thereonunder the influence of a winding spring 23 which surrounds the reel at one extremity thereof, as shown in Fig. 5.

The lower extremity of the flexible inking sheet is removably secured along the upper edge of the chase bed I6 by means of a cross rod 24 or in any other desired manner. The spring 23 constantly maintaining the sheet 22'taut-by urging it to wind about the reel 2|. The reel rotates partially submerged in'a bath of fluid ink 25 with which the reservoir is partially filled.

The sheet exits through a'suitable opening at the front of the reservoirover an idler roll 25 against which it is pressed by means of a wringing roll 21. The pressure of the wringing roll 2! against the sheet is adjusted by means of suitable pressure screws 26. The top of the reservoir is closed and access for filling purposes is had through asuitable hinged lid 29. g

The usual press carries a plurality of inking rollers actuated from the roller yoke frame 13. When installing this invention all of these rollers except the forward one are removed. The single remaining roller, illustrated at 36.need not be of any particular construction, in fact, a plain composition or rubber covered roller will serve the purpose.

Operation wardly bringing the-roller 36 into contact with the rear of the sheet 22. It then continues downwardly rolling this sheet against the type faces in the chase ll, as shown in Fig. 2.

As the roller 30 moves downwardly, it unrolls the sheet 22 from the reel 2| and increases the ension in the spring 23. As the press begins to lose the roller 30 ascends allowing the sheet 22 o be reeled into the reservoir under the action of the spring 23. It will be noted that the sheet oes not move over the type so that there is no wearthereon. It will also be noted that the roller 30 does not contact the type so that it will last indefinitely. To change color it is only necessary to detach the reservoir and sheet from the press and replace them With others carrying the desired ink. I

In Fig. 6, the same invention is illustrated applied to a fiat bed type of press. In such a press, the form carrying the type travels horizontally beneath the inking rollers.

In applying this invention, the reservoir 20, previously described, is mounted on suitable bracket arms 3! across the tracks of the form, illustrated at 32 in Fig. 6. The flexible sheet 22 is carried around a press roller 33 thence over the form 32 where it is secured at 34 to the traveling bed of the form, indicated at 35. Thus, each time the form moves outwardly from the press to the position of Fig. 6, the sheet 22 will be rolled from its reel, pressed against the type faces and stretched thereon, as indicated in Fig.

6. As the form again enters the press, this sheet travels back around the roller 33 into the inking reservoir 20.

While the invention has been described as an inking medium, it can be used without change for applying water to the printing surface of an offset press by simply placing water in the reservoir 20.

While a specific form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the same may be varied, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent is:

1. Meansfor inking the type faces in a printing press comprising: a reel; a sheet of flexible material attached at its inner extremity to said reel; means for rotating said reel to wind said sheet thereon; an inking reservoir maintaining an ink bath about the wound sheet on said reel to apply ink thereto; means for attaching the outer extremity of said sheet to a printing press adjacent the type faces therein; a roller; and means for moving said roller into contact with the back of said sheet and across the type faces between the point of attachment and said bath so as to roll the sheet over the type faces at each opening cycle of said press.

2. The combination with a printing press of the type having an inking roller whichtravels across the type faces at each opening movement of said press, of an ink reservoir; an elongated reel member in said reservoir; asheet of flexible material wound about said reel member; a spring constantly urging said reel to wind said sheet, said sheet being positioned across the path of said roller so that the latter will come in contact therewith to withdraw said sheet from said reel and lay it between said roller and the type faces at each opening movement of said press.

3. .The combination with a printing press" of the type having an inking roller which travels across the type faces at each opening movement of said press, of an ink reservoir; an elongated reel member in said reservoir; 2. sheet of flexible material wound about said reel member; a spring constantly urging said reel to wind said sheet; and means for fixedly securing the outer extremity of said sheet to said press so that it will xtend across the path of said roller, whereby the latter will contact and spread the inked sheet over the type faces of said press at each opening movement of the latter.

4. The combination with a printing press of the type having an inking roller which travels across the type faces at each opening movement of said press, of an ink reservoir secured at one side of said type faces; an elongated reel member in said reservoir; a sheet of flexible material Wound about said reel member; a spring constantly urging said reel to wind said sheet; and means for fixedly securing the outer extremity of said sheet to said press on the same side of the type faces as the reservoir is secured so that it will extend across the path of said roller, whereby the latter will contact and spread the inked sheet over the type faces of said press during its travel across the type faces at each opening movement of the press, said spring acting to rewind said sheet on said reel as said roller releases the former.

5. An inking device for printing presses of the class having an inking roller which travel downward and upward across a substantially vertical type-holding chase at each opening cycle of the press comprising: an elongated ink reservoir; means for supporting said reservoir abov the path of said roller; an inking sheet reel in said reservoir; a flexible inking sheet extending from said reel and from said reservoir downwardly across the path of said roller; and means for securing the outer edge of said sheet to said press above the chase thereon and across the path of and between said roller and said chase so that as said roller approaches said chase it will strike said inking sheet and roll it across and against the type faces in said chase.

6. An inking device for printin presses of the class having an inking roller which travels downwardand upward across a substantially vertical type-holding chase at each opening cycle of the press "comprising: an elongated ink reservoir; means for supporting said reservoir at one side of the path of said roller; an inking sheet reel in said reservoir; a flexible inking sheet extending from said reel and from said reservoir across the path of said roller; and a rod extending across the press above the chase to which the extremity of said sheet is secured, said rod bein positioned on the opposite side of the path of said roller so that the latter in traveling to said chase must engage said sheet intermediate its extremities to withdraw it from said reservoir and roll it against the type faces in said chase.

7. An inking device for printing presses of the class having an inking roller which travels downward and upward across a substantially vertical type holding chase at each opening cycle of the press comprising: an elongated ink reservoir; means for supporting said reservoir above the path of said roller; an inking sheet reel in said reservoir; a flexible inking sheet extending from said reel and from said reservoir downwardly across the path of said roller; means for securing the outer edge of said sheet to said press above the chase thereon so that as said roller approaches said chase it will strike said inking sheet and roll it'across and against the type face in said chase; and means for rewinding said sheet on said reel When the former is released by said roller.

8. Means for inking the type faces in a printing press comprising: a sheet of flexible material; a 5

said reel being immersed in ink in said reservoir; means for attaching the outer extremity of said sheet to a printing press adjacent the type faces therein; a roller; and means for moving said roller against said sheet between the latter attaching means and said reel so as to unreel said sheet and roll it against the type faces at each open cycle of said press.

. JACK C. TALBERT. 

